This chapter is from the book

This chapter is from the book

There are myriad ways to make your Mac your own, from changing its desktop picture,
its icons, and even your own login icon to changing the way the Finder works and responds to you. You can even change the
Finder’s language to any of a couple dozen alternatives, including Asian languages, or you can set up your Mac to talk to
you—and listen for your responses.

Your custom settings are associated with your login name, so they’re automatically put into action each time you log in. When
other users log in, their own settings are activated. That means a single Mac can offer each user a custom experience. Your
custom settings can include useful preferences such as network locations and more fun preferences such as your desktop wallpaper.

In this part you’ll learn how to customize the Finder, the Dock, the desktop, your screen saver, and your security preferences.
You’ll also learn how to make your own Dashboard widgets—tiny custom programs that you can build from pieces of your favorite
websites. If you move your computer around or switch networks a lot, you’ll benefit from the “Creating Custom Network Locations” task, which shows how to create custom location settings that change all your network preferences with a single click.